Moth Trap Report: 30th March 2021 (a productive session)

Sharing the results from my latest Moth Trap Session. I have written posts about setting up a moth trap and on collecting the results if you want some more background info on how and why I use a Moth Trap

Date: 30th March 2021
Weather: Well, the weather earlier today was beautiful. With highs of 22C it was warmer than expected, and with a gentle and warm Southerly wind this evening, it looked like perfect mothing conditions. Even while spending a little bit of time in the garden in the afternoon I spotted 5 different species of Bee, and a few different species of Bugs too (more of that in another post).

Even as I turned the trap on as Dusk fell, small flies immediately started buzzing around near it along with a couple of Lacewings, and I always take this to be a sign of a good night ahead...

...I wasn't disappointed!

Results: 14 moths of 8 species

Summary of Results:

Double-striped Pug - Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

First to arrive this evening were these little Pug moths. The markings can be variable, but hopefully you can make out the 2 black lines/stripes on each wing. There were 4 of these altogether, 3 on the nearby fence panel, and 1 inside the trap.

Early Grey - Xylocampa areola

Along with the Double-striped Pug, the Early Grey was also NFY (new for year). This just means it is the first time I have seen this species this year.

After that I then saw 2 Common Quakers and a couple of Plume Moths, similar to these that I saw 2 weeks ago

At midnight I popped back outside to see if there was anything else, and found 2 (yes 2!) Early Thorns!

Early Thorn - Selenia dentaria

Early Thorn - Selenia dentaria

There are several different species of 'Thorn' moth, but this species is usually the first to appear each year (hence the 'Early' name haha!). They are nice and distinctive and very photogenic. This species is also unusual as it always rests with its wing held together as you can see in these pictures.

Bonus pictures for this week:

Green Lacewing - Chrysoperla carnea

Absolutely loads of these seen during the session, I counted 8 at one point, and I suspect there were plenty more than that!

Common Rough Woodlouse - Porcellio scaber

Another common sight during this evening, there were several of these Woodlice scurrying about on the paving slabs near the moth trap. A common species that often gets ignored compared to the 'prettier' invertebrates, but these are fascinating in their own way.

Note to Self: I could do with better photos here, I don't like how this image has turned out, there is a weird red tint to the image that shouldn't be there, I must try harder next time

Anyway, a productive session in the end. Photos taken and records updated, I can now look forward to next weeks session, who knows what I will see next time...

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Notes on Pictures: Since I started moth trapping 4 years ago, I have been slowly building up collection of Library Images. The idea being that once I have taken a picture of a particular species of Moth, I don't need another picture of the same species a year later. It’s a waste of time and energy. I only take pictures of new species, or of moths that are difficult to ID, so I can get the records verified.

While in my care, all individuals are looked after, and after Photographs have been taken, they are all released safely outside.

All names confirmed and checked via Wikispieces

Thank you for reading, I hope you found it interesting.

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All Photos taken by @dannewton unless otherwise stated.
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